the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

a_squirrelman · 27-07-2020 02:29PM

Hi,
I have an issue where the chain won't go back up on to the higher chain ring. What I don't understand is that if I hop off the bike, lift the back wheel and pedal by hand it immediately jumps up to the higher one, which makes no sense to me.
Any advice on what could be the issue? I have two chain rings and my gf has the exact same issue on her newish bike, where she has three chain rings, and she can't get from the smallest to middle one.
Thanks!

cletus · 27-07-2020 03:09PM

Effects wrote: »

The tyre is holding traction to the ground alright. It feels like mechanical slipping. That's why I'm wondering if it's the hub.
If the chain was worn, it would slip on the cogs right?

Should do. Might be worth having a look at the freehub, if you have the tools

shanec1928 · 27-07-2020 03:16PM

what is the name of the piece of plastic that you put in between the pads when you have the wheel off, for disk brakes

27-07-2020 03:21PM

a pad spacer? like for if you have the wheel off while the bike is in the car or something?

EDIT: If memory serves there are ones specific to the different manufacturers and discs, but open to correction on that.

Type 17 · 27-07-2020 03:27PM

Effects wrote: »

Looking for some advice on an issue with losing traction/power on my rear wheel. Seems to happen when I'm pushing hard, and hitting bumpy road service. Gears are indexing fine, so I don't think it's an issue with the derailleur/cogs. Could it be the freehub being worn out, so it's losing traction internally?

I haven't checked for chain wear, in case that could be the issue. I've order a wear checker anyway, but might not get it for a week or two.

According to Bikeradar:

Had a few close calls, but then last Friday it happened when I was sprinting through a junction and I went down pretty hard. Scrapes and bruising from my ankles up to my shoulders.

Thinking of replacing the Shimano R500 wheelset for a CAMPAGNOLO CALIMA C17 WHEELSET to see if that will sort the issue out. Old wheels are out of true anyway, and seems like Shimano don't make these anymore. Do I need to worry about this:

I'm about 86kg before the bike weight. So close to 100kg in total when I'm carrying a pack.

Sounds like the freewheel is dying - unless the wheels are in great condition (you mentioned that they're not), it's probably best to look at a new wheel-set.

shanec1928 · 27-07-2020 03:37PM

Deleted User wrote: »

a pad spacer? like for if you have the wheel off while the bike is in the car or something?

EDIT: If memory serves there are ones specific to the different manufacturers and discs, but open to correction on that.

yes thats the one. must get a spare or two before i loose the first one:D

Effects · 27-07-2020 05:36PM

cletus wrote: »

Should do. Might be worth having a look at the freehub, if you have the tools

I think my toolset has what I need. But rather than take a look and possibly make it worse, I'll order a new set of wheels and then try and fix this set.

Type 17 wrote: »

Sounds like the freewheel is dying - unless the wheels are in great condition (you mentioned that they're not), it's probably best to look at a new wheel-set.

Yeah, time for a new set!

MojoMaker · 27-07-2020 06:02PM

Those Shimano R500s are dead even when brand new. Do your cycling future a favour and pick up something a bit nicer. Mavic Aksiums for €200 would be a nice step up from R500s.

Effects · 27-07-2020 06:25PM

MojoMaker wrote: »

Those Shimano R500s are dead even when brand new. Do your cycling future a favour and pick up something a bit nicer. Mavic Aksiums for €200 would be a nice step up from R500s.

Need something cheap and cheerful for bashing about on. It's on my commuter bike I use them, and they get a far bit of abuse. Decals easily removable is a bonus.

The Shimanos were perfect for that.

Although I see Aksiums going for 150, which is only slightly more than the Campags https://www.rosebikes.com/campagnolo-calima-c17-wheelset-hged-2668759?product_shape=black

Nicer spoke pattern on the rear Campag wheel though.

woody33 · 30-07-2020 01:57PM

Ok, say I've recently cleaned and lubed my chain, and then go for a short spin after it rained. Just on tarmac, maybe a bit of grassy verge. What would be a good way to remove any crud without doing a deep clean and relube? Two toothbrushes with a bit of what on 'em? WD40 ("never", I hear the chorus). Oil, maybe? Bring back the fully enclosed chain case, I say. Ta for any ideas.

crosstownk · 30-07-2020 11:09PM

Wipe with a cloth and relube if the chain is reasonably clean. Sometimes I just relube if recent rides have been in dry weather.

If in doubt, clean and relube.

woody33 · 31-07-2020 12:22AM

Thanks for the reply, I wipe with a cloth or baby wipe alright, but I'd like to get between the links a bit more. I'll see what I can do with a couple of toothbrushes.

a_squirrelman · 31-07-2020 06:58AM

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Hi,
I have an issue where the chain won't go back up on to the higher chain ring. What I don't understand is that if I hop off the bike, lift the back wheel and pedal by hand it immediately jumps up to the higher one, which makes no sense to me.
Any advice on what could be the issue? I have two chain rings and my gf has the exact same issue on her newish bike, where she has three chain rings, and she can't get from the smallest to middle one.
Thanks!

Anyone?

saccades · 31-07-2020 07:25AM

Tony04 wrote: »

I guess a 50t set up with an 10t (I'd imagine if 1x is going mainstream it's going to be microspline that will do it) 50 t cassette would work. So you have you 5:1 ratio to grind away on flats and 1:1 ratio as your granny gear.

But I still cant see this working;
Big range cassettes are heavy to save weight you see aluminium rings being used on the mtb but these wear quicker, you can get away with this on the mtb as they're very scarcely used because you already have the smaller 30-36t chainring on the front.

On a road bike your going to be using the high cogs alot
presuming you have a big chainring so you'll have to use steel rings unless you want to pay to change your cassette alot.
The deore 12 speed cassette, all steel, weighs about 600 grams so youd probably have to have something similar on the road bike also your rd is going to be heavier because of the higher range, so you acctually wouldnt be saving weight, when you think about it.

Also on a road bike a 500% range cassette is going to be very jumpy and hard to find the right gear so I dont think it will take off.

Even though it's much more a pain to maintain I think for the wide choice of gears I'll be sticking with 2x.

Even for the maintenance benefits the cassette mightnt be as mainstream and therefore harder and more expensive to change

Saying that I did spin the other day around ncd when I didnt shift down on the small chainring although equally did 50k with 1000+ elevation the next day that I wouldnt of completed without the little ring

This is all stuff I thought and was said on MTB forums before I bought the new MTB with 1x12. Possibly for racing on the flat the gaps between are too wide but for everything else the 500% range works. It isn't cheap but the SRAM cassette I have is 450g compared to duraace 180g. Once you remove the shifter elements, extra ring and front derailleur the weights are in line with each other. The longevity has impressed me so far, it's coated in something that's working.

As I said, it really works for my cycling (commute and weekends in the Wicklow mountains doing 60 to 90km). Racing, probably not if you are the type that swaps cassettes to fit the course.

cletus · 31-07-2020 07:44AM

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Anyone?

I would have said to check cable tension on the front derailleur. I'm not sure why the gears would change with no weight on the bike vs. with weight, but that could be a red herring.

I'd go with checking cable tension first, then look at indexing the derailleur

*edit* Thinking about it, the issue with shifting while the wheel is off the ground could simply be less pressure on the drivetrain, meaning less force required to derail the chain. Either way, check tension

dahat · 31-07-2020 11:07AM

Can a short cage take 11/30 with the same chain running 11/28? Upfront its 52/36.

8valve · 31-07-2020 12:53PM

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Anyone?

Have seen this with a few bikes; changes up to the big ring on the workstand no problem but won't shift up when being ridden under pressure.

What has worked for me is increasing cable tension gradually (if you have an inline tensioner fitted to the cable) and giving the outer limit screw no more than a quarter turn to allow the front mech travel further out by a teeny-weeny (very technical term lol) amount more, but not so much as to allow the chain to run out off the big chainring and get fouled up on the cranks and risking damage/twisting of the front mech cage...little bit of faffing/trial and error required; seek pro help if you don't feel confident.

Also, take pedalling pressure off the pedals (but still rotating forward, obviously!)when changing up to the big ring.

Tony04 · 31-07-2020 01:53PM

dahat wrote: »

Can a short cage take 11/30 with the same chain running 11/28? Upfront its 52/36.

16 + 19 = 35 = max short cage capacity on 11 speed shimano derailleurs so that should be fine. Ideally youd want to lengthen your chain by a link, how long have you had the chain? it might need replacing anyway

CramCycle · 02-08-2020 10:15AM

I presume there is no real issue with mixing mineral oil brands in brakes?

8valve · 02-08-2020 02:11PM

No issue, once its mineral oil with mineral oil.

Proprietary brake fluid can't be mixed with mineral oil.

I've seen a guy online who ran his brake system using baby oil with no major issue!

loyatemu · 02-08-2020 09:53PM

put a new cassette and chain onto my bike, first time doing either job - both cassettes are Shimano 10 speed

the new cassette came with 2 spacers on the inside (i.e. behind the largest ring), a thin one that was the equivalent of the one I took off, so I put that one on. The other was a thicker spacer with some notches in it that I couldn't have used even if I wanted to as the last ring of the cassette wouldn't have fitted on. So what is it for? Putting a 10 speed onto an 11 speed hub?

8valve · 03-08-2020 11:50AM

loyatemu wrote: »

put a new cassette and chain onto my bike, first time doing either job - both cassettes are Shimano 10 speed

the new cassette came with 2 spacers on the inside (i.e. behind the largest ring), a thin one that was the equivalent of the one I took off, so I put that one on. The other was a thicker spacer with some notches in it that I couldn't have used even if I wanted to as the last ring of the cassette wouldn't have fitted on. So what is it for? Putting a 10 speed onto an 11 speed hub?

Most cassettes will come with a spare spacer, which fits nearest the spokes, so that you can ensure a secure fit of the cassette on the freehub body; also helps align the new sprockets so that your indexing is identical to when the old cassette was fitted to the wheel.

You are absolutely correct in fitting the same width spacer as the one you removed.

Complete the following to finish the job:
1.Run through all your gears with the bike on a workstand to verify that your indexing is still correct.
2. Make a cuppa/open a beer.
3. Stand back and admire your awesomeness at having completed the job.

loyatemu · 03-08-2020 12:28PM

yeah indexing seems fine.

I screwed up the routing of the chain through the deraileur, and didn't notice until after I'd secured the quick link and oiled the thing (thinking that was the reason it sounded rough). Naturally this was when I discovered my bike tool set (which did include a chain breaker and cassette tool) did not include a set of quick link pliers. Cue several sweary minutes trying to detach the oily quicklink with the pliers on my Leatherman (I managed in the end).

Effects · 04-08-2020 11:05PM

loyatemu wrote: »

I discovered my bike tool set (which did include a chain breaker and cassette tool) did not include a set of quick link pliers. Cue several sweary minutes trying to detach the oily quicklink with the pliers on my Leatherman (I managed in the end).

I cut a small section from a cheap wire hanger, and bend it to suit, then use the pliers to apply the force. Works well.

CormacH94 · 05-08-2020 02:26PM

Are headsets a standard configuration?

I.e, I have two forks I want to be able to swap between the one bike (One fork is fully slammed, one has a lot of length for touring) but I need a crown race for the relaxed fork.

The steerer is 1 1/8 - Does this mean I only need any 1 1/8 crown race or is better to match to the brand/model currently on the slammed fork?

8valve · 05-08-2020 07:32PM

CormacH94 wrote: »

Are headsets a standard configuration?

I.e, I have two forks I want to be able to swap between the one bike (One fork is fully slammed, one has a lot of length for touring) but I need a crown race for the relaxed fork.

The steerer is 1 1/8 - Does this mean I only need any 1 1/8 crown race or is better to match to the brand/model currently on the slammed fork?

Safer to match brands; also make sure you get the correct diameter/bearing angle also.

magicbastarder · 10-08-2020 01:54PM

Weepsie wrote: »

Knowing from the outset an ultegra triple was a terrible idea for a tourer

why so?

a_squirrelman · 10-08-2020 03:30PM

8valve wrote: »

Have seen this with a few bikes; changes up to the big ring on the workstand no problem but won't shift up when being ridden under pressure.

What has worked for me is increasing cable tension gradually (if you have an inline tensioner fitted to the cable) and giving the outer limit screw no more than a quarter turn to allow the front mech travel further out by a teeny-weeny (very technical term lol) amount more, but not so much as to allow the chain to run out off the big chainring and get fouled up on the cranks and risking damage/twisting of the front mech cage...little bit of faffing/trial and error required; seek pro help if you don't feel confident.

Also, take pedalling pressure off the pedals (but still rotating forward, obviously!)when changing up to the big ring.

Thanks cletus and 8valve. Cable tension was the issue, and with no outer screw on this ancient bike I had to move the cage out a mm or two as well. Took some messing about but as a total noob I managed nonetheless.
Cheers!

8valve · 10-08-2020 08:13PM

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Thanks cletus and 8valve. Cable tension was the issue, and with no outer screw on this ancient bike I had to move the cage out a mm or two as well. Took some messing about but as a total noob I managed nonetheless.
Cheers!

Happy to hear you got it sorted.

It's only by experience that we learn stuff like this and this thread is a great way to share knowledge amongst us, that we've all accumulated over the years.

magicbastarder · 10-08-2020 08:40PM

i've a pair of aksiums on a bike that's been out in all weathers and was my commuting bike; the spokes are showing it a little with a bit of rust appearing through the anodising. is it even worth trying to clean them/treat them?
it's not nearly enough to worry about the strength of the spokes themselves; and they're disc wheels, so not something where the decision is automatically made to replace them if the rims wear through.

the 'there's no such thing as a stupid question' bike maintenance thread

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